A computer hacker from Ipswich was found with nearly £200,000 in his account in cash and crypto currency after breaching copyright laws to sell songs by pop star Ed Sheeran and US rapper Lil Uzi Vert.

Magistrates in the town heard that Adrian Kwiatkowski, 22, of Hampton Road, hacked computers to make electronic copies of the songs Give Me That and Butterfly by Framlingham musician Sheeran and a number of tracks by the American artist.

During an appearance on Friday, he pleaded guilty to three charges of gaining unauthorised access to a computer, 14 copyright offences and two counts of possessing criminal property.

The unauthorised access occurred on February 26 and 27, 2019, while the copyright offences were on September 12, 2019.

The first criminal possession charge related to a sum of £61,858 between June 2018 and July 2019, while the second possession charge was for bitcoin cryptocurrency valued at £21,729 on September 12, 2019.

David Bryant, prosecuting, said: “It would appear that the defendant had some £86,000 in bank accounts and some £100,000 in crypto currency so accordingly there will be a proceeds of crime application because of the defendant’s criminality.”

He said Kwiatkowski had ‘accessed various e-mails, social media and storage accounts when he should not have done.’

“This was unauthorised access- or to use the vernacular, ‘hacking.’ It meant that the defendant was then able to offer for sale various artists’ work,” Mr Bryant added.

Kwiatkowski was caught after a musician in the US made a complaint to the New York District Attorney’s office, which then referred the matter to City of London police.

Magistrates conditionally bailed Kwiatkowski to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on a date that is yet to be confirmed.

His conditions included the surrender of his passport to prevent him from absconding and that he must attend court on the next date.